Drug diversion is the act of obtaining or using prescription medicines illegally. Drug diversion by healthcare professionals includes stealing controlled substances, such as opiods, for their own use. This can result in several types of patient harm including:
- Substandard care delivered by an impaired healthcare provider
- Denial of essential pain medications or therapy, or
- Risks of infection (e.g., with hepatitis C virus or bacterial pathogens) if a provider tampers with injectable drugs
To help educate healthcare providers on the signs and risks of drug diversion, Colorado has developed a new video resource for facilities. The video provides interviews from experts in the field of drug diversion.
To watch the video visit http://www.oneandonlycampaign.org/partner/colorado
If you have an upcoming training or would like a guest speaker to present on injection safety, please contact Alana Cilwick (303.692.2727) or alana.cilwick@state.co.us Injection Safety Coordinator at CDPHE.
This blog publishes information typically sent to users of the Colorado Health Facilities Interactive (COHFI) system for health care entities regulated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Please note that COHFI is the official medium for business communication between the Department and licensed and/or Medicare/Medicaid certified health care entities. Health care entities should continue to monitor their email accounts routinely.
